The installation of automatic gates at a renowned National Trust hunting lodge in Hampshire has sparked a verbal spat amongst eminent interior designers.
The “horrific” gates Francis Sultana, the new owner of the Odiham Hunting Lodge, erected before receiving planning approval, according to the Times, have outraged critics.
The grade II listed structure, formerly referred to as the “prettiest tiny house in the world,” will have two metal gates according to designs presented by Sultana, a 49-year-old interior designer and Maltese cultural ambassador.
The new gates would be positioned behind the conventional white wooden gates that now surround the house’s famed Jacobean Revival façade with three complex gables, according the planning recommendations.
The famed interior designer John Fowler, who resided at Odiham Lodge until 1947 and transformed it into the epitome of English country home design, has angered a group of admirers who have criticised Sultana, who moved into the National Trust property last year.
According to 62-year-old designer Jasper Conran, John Fowler could not have imagined that such improvements would be feasible.
The National Trust has a responsibility to protect this very attractive structure and its grounds from outside influence.
Decorator John Tanner has been the driving force behind the loud opposition, asking his 27,000 Instagram followers to protest to the council about the gates and other elements in the planning applications.
Sultana’s plan also calls for the construction of 14 surveillance cameras and a plastic-coated fence surrounding the property, further infuriating the National Trust members and the group of interior designers.
They assert that the improvements would go against the property’s 18th-century conservation management plan.
The character and general setting of the land, in particular the intended location and vistas of the house, are not affected, according to the National Trust plan.
On his Instagram, Graham Carr, another follower of Fowler, referred to the gates as “one of the most awful sights” he had ever seen.
I think the National Trust has a lot to answer for,” he said. “You could see from the start that it was going to be a catastrophe.”
In his request to the council, Sultana calls the new metal gates a “upgrade” over the previous ad hoc mesh installation since they “acceptable balance between not disturbing the view of the home while blocking the entry of deer.”
Designer Nicky Haslam, who resided at the home for 40 years until 2019, had already installed the mesh.
Haslam, 82, said he had not been given permission to install anything more than simple chicken wire to fend off deer.
Haslam rose to fame by creating tea towels listing items he believed to be “common.”
Haslam did not want to directly criticise the new renter, but he did wonder why Sultana was permitted to make improvements to the property when he was not.
I originally fell in love with the hunting lodge when I was a youngster, Sultana recalled. I am aware that the news of my tenancy did not please everyone.
But I want to reassure everyone who cares about the home as much as I do that both the National Trust and I solely have the best interests of the house and the garden in mind.
According to the National Trust, choosing a renter is never based only on price.
We take into account a variety of aspects while choosing a renter for a residential home.
Due to its connections to Odiham Castle, which King John had erected in the 13th century, it was often believed that the house belonged to King Henry VII.
However, it was most likely constructed in the 18th century.